151 - The River Kingdom

Chapter 151 — The River Kingdom

The flight back to Korea was quiet for the first few hours. Most of the team used the journey to rest after the coastal mission, while the researchers continued sorting through the information collected in Japan. Subin sat beside the window with his arms folded, occasionally glancing at the tablet in his hands. The new dungeon in South America had already become the subject of international discussion, but the initial reports contained very little beyond its location, rapid growth, and proximity to a major river.

Yerin looked over from the seat beside him. "You've been reading that report for twenty minutes."

"There isn't much information."

"Then why keep reading it?"

"I'm trying to understand what we don't know."

She smiled. "That's becoming one of your habits."

Subin put the tablet down. "Probably."

The aircraft continued toward Korea, and for once neither of them felt the need to fill the silence. Their relationship had reached a comfortable stage where being together no longer required constant conversation. They could sit beside each other, share occasional comments, and simply enjoy the journey.

When they landed, Director Kang was waiting at the private terminal.

He didn't waste time with formalities.

"Welcome back. I hope Japan didn't cause too much trouble."

Min-seok stepped off the aircraft behind Subin. "No major battles."

Director Kang looked at him.

"You sound disappointed."

"I was."

Jae-hyun walked past him. "He challenged two people to sparring matches."

"Three," Min-seok corrected.

Yerin laughed.

Director Kang shook his head. "At least you're keeping yourselves occupied."

The group entered the Association building, where a large display had already been prepared in the international operations room. The screen showed a satellite image of South America, with a highlighted region near a wide inland river.

The new dungeon was located several kilometers from a large settlement.

Director Kang enlarged the image.

"This is the situation."

The dungeon had appeared near the river two days earlier. At first, it had been classified as B-rank. Within twelve hours, its readings had risen to A-rank, and six hours later it reached A+. Since then, its growth had slowed considerably.

Unlike the Japanese dungeon, however, there was already evidence of monster movement outside its original territory.

"How far?" Subin asked.

"Approximately nine kilometers."

Min-seok frowned. "That's already outside the normal containment zone."

"Correct."

Director Kang changed the display.

Several red markers appeared along the river.

"These are confirmed monster sightings."

There were twelve locations.

Some were small creatures. Others belonged to monsters estimated between Level 90 and Level 120.

"The important part," Director Kang continued, "is that none of these creatures are moving toward the settlement."

Jae-hyun looked at the map.

"Then where are they going?"

"Following the river."

Subin's attention sharpened.

The room became quieter.

Director Kang noticed.

"That's what concerns us."

Subin stood and approached the display. The river stretched for hundreds of kilometers, passing through forests, agricultural regions, several towns, and eventually larger population centers.

"If the monsters continue following the river, they could travel much farther than the dungeon itself."

"Exactly."

Yerin looked at the map. "Have they attacked anyone?"

"Not yet."

Min-seok frowned. "That's unusual."

"It is," Director Kang said. "Local authorities have already evacuated several areas near the dungeon, but they don't know whether the creatures are migrating or simply searching for territory."

Subin studied the movement patterns.

"They're probably migrating."

Everyone looked at him.

"Why?"

"Because their movements are too consistent. If they were hunting humans, we'd see them changing direction toward settlements. Instead, they're following the river."

Jae-hyun crossed his arms. "So what happens when the river passes through a city?"

Subin looked at the map again.

"We'll find out."

Director Kang sighed. "That's why we're sending a team."

He changed the display once more.

"South American authorities have requested international assistance. Their strongest local teams are already dealing with the dungeon itself, so they want outside A-rank support for the river."

Min-seok smiled.

"Finally."

Yerin gave him a sideways glance.

"You're happy."

"We've spent days watching rivers."

"And?"

"I'd like something to hit."

Director Kang ignored him.

"The team will consist of Subin, Yerin, Min-seok, Jae-hyun, Ara, Ethan, Liu Wei, and two local A-rankers."

Subin nodded.

"What's the mission?"

"Follow the migration route, determine why the monsters are moving, and prevent them from reaching populated areas if necessary."

"Are we entering the dungeon?"

"Only if required."

That answer pleased Subin.

They had already learned that not every dungeon needed to be conquered immediately. Sometimes the more important problem was what happened outside it.

The team departed the following morning.

The flight took several hours, and by the time they reached the temporary South American command center, evening had already settled over the region.

Two local Awakeners were waiting.

The first was a tall man with dark hair and a broad build.

"I'm Mateus Oliveira, A-rank."

He pointed toward the woman beside him.

"This is Camila Torres, also A-rank. She specializes in tracking and long-range combat."

Camila gave the international team a brief smile.

"We've been following the creatures since yesterday."

"How many?" Yerin asked.

"Thirty-seven confirmed."

"Only thirty-seven?"

"Those are the ones we've identified."

Camila brought up a map.

"There could be more."

The markers followed the river in a strangely orderly pattern.

Subin looked at them.

"Have you observed combat between the monsters?"

"Yes."

"Among themselves?"

Camila nodded.

"Several times."

"Who won?"

"The stronger creature usually drives the weaker one away, but there haven't been many deaths."

That caught Subin's attention.

"What happens afterward?"

"The defeated creatures continue moving."

Subin looked at the map again.

"They're not competing for territory."

Camila nodded.

"That's what we think."

Mateus frowned.

"We don't know what they're doing instead."

Subin looked toward the dark window.

"We'll find out."

The team left the command center before sunrise.

They traveled by helicopter for the first part of the journey and then continued on foot once the terrain became too difficult.

The river was enormous.

It moved through dense forest, carrying a powerful current between rocky banks. The surrounding vegetation had grown unusually thick since the dungeon appeared, but there were no obvious signs of destruction.

The first monsters appeared shortly after noon.

A group of Level 83 river wolves emerged from the forest.

They noticed the Awakeners but did not attack.

Instead, they crossed the river and continued north.

Min-seok watched them disappear.

"That's becoming annoying."

Yerin smiled. "Why?"

"They keep ignoring us."

Ara laughed.

Subin wasn't surprised.

He had already expected this.

The monsters weren't behaving like creatures fleeing from danger. They were moving with purpose, but their purpose wasn't immediately hostile.

The team continued following them.

Several kilometers farther along, they encountered a much larger creature.

It emerged from the river itself.

A Level 112 Riverback Crocodile crawled onto the shore, its thick body covered with dark scales and stone-like plates.

The creature stopped when it saw the humans.

Its eyes moved between them.

Mateus immediately prepared his weapon.

Subin raised a hand.

"Wait."

The crocodile didn't attack.

Instead, it looked upstream.

Then it turned and continued moving.

Mateus lowered his weapon.

"That's the third time."

Subin nodded.

"It's consistent."

They followed.

After another hour, the reason became clear.

A large group of monsters had gathered near a bend in the river.

There were wolves, reptiles, horned herbivores, and several smaller creatures.

None were attacking each other.

They were gathered around a section of exposed riverbank.

At first, the team couldn't understand why.

Then Subin noticed the water.

It was shallow there.

A group of small creatures were drinking.

Behind them, larger monsters waited.

No one fought.

The larger creatures simply waited until the smaller ones finished.

Yerin looked at Subin.

"They're sharing the water."

"Not exactly."

"What do you mean?"

"They're following an order."

She studied the creatures.

The stronger monsters were positioned farther upstream.

The weaker ones were closer to the shallow water.

Nobody crossed the invisible boundary.

Subin walked closer.

A Level 118 monster noticed him and growled.

He stopped.

The creature didn't attack.

Instead, it turned away.

The team remained at a distance.

For nearly twenty minutes, nothing happened.

Then the river changed.

A surge of water moved downstream.

The stronger monsters immediately moved aside.

The smaller creatures scattered toward higher ground.

Subin understood.

"The dungeon isn't controlling them."

Camila looked at him.

"Then what is?"

"The river."

Everyone stared at him.

Subin pointed toward the water.

"Something upstream is changing the environment. These creatures have adapted their behavior around it."

Mateus frowned.

"Could that be the dungeon?"

"Probably."

Jae-hyun looked upstream.

"Then the dungeon's influence has already traveled this far."

Subin nodded.

"But it isn't forcing the monsters."

That distinction mattered.

The creatures were adapting to their environment rather than being commanded by something.

The team continued upstream.

As evening approached, they reached a small settlement that had been evacuated.

Several houses stood empty beside the river.

The authorities had cleared the area after monster sightings.

Subin walked through the quiet street.

There were signs that people had left quickly.

A bicycle lay near one house.

A child's toy remained beside a doorway.

Yerin noticed it too.

"We should make sure they can return."

Subin nodded.

"Yes."

The mission suddenly felt less abstract.

They weren't simply studying a dungeon anymore.

There were ordinary people waiting for someone to tell them whether they could go home.

The team established a temporary defensive position near the settlement.

Camila and Mateus coordinated with local authorities while Ara examined the surrounding area.

Jae-hyun joined her.

"Anything?"

"Not yet."

"You look worried."

"I'm thinking."

"That's dangerous."

Ara smiled.

"You spend too much time with Min-seok."

From across the road, Min-seok shouted, "I heard that!"

Everyone laughed.

Even Jae-hyun smiled.

The tension eased.

Later that night, Subin and Yerin sat on the roof of one of the empty houses.

The river could be heard in the darkness.

Yerin looked at him.

"You were different today."

"How?"

"You seemed more affected by the settlement."

Subin was quiet for a moment.

"They're people."

"I know."

"We've spent so much time dealing with monsters and dungeons that it's easy to forget what they're actually protecting."

Yerin looked toward the empty houses.

"That's why I wanted to come here."

Subin turned toward her.

"Why?"

"Because becoming stronger isn't enough."

She smiled softly.

"If everyone around us has to keep running away, then what's the point of becoming stronger?"

Subin didn't answer immediately.

He looked at the river.

"I don't want to become someone who only knows how to fight."

Yerin smiled.

"Good."

She leaned back slightly.

"Because I don't think I'd like that version of you."

Subin laughed.

"You'd still argue with me."

"Definitely."

They remained there for a while.

The next morning, the team received new information.

The monsters had changed direction.

Instead of continuing along the river, they had begun moving toward a narrow tributary leading directly toward the dungeon.

Subin studied the new map.

"They're going back."

Camila shook her head.

"Why?"

Subin looked toward the distant forest.

"Maybe the migration wasn't away from the dungeon."

Jae-hyun understood.

"Then where were they going?"

Subin stood.

"Somewhere they could live."

He looked at the river stretching toward the dungeon.

"And now they're returning."

The team prepared to follow.

This time, they would not simply observe from a distance.

They would travel with the migrating creatures and see where they went.

The answer might reveal something more important than the dungeon itself.

It might show them what kind of world was beginning to form around these new ecosystems.

And if that world could coexist with humanity, they needed to understand it before fear and instinct turned every encounter into another battle.